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How much would you pay for a “simple” computer?

This will be our poll question in the newsletter tomorrow, but I wanted to give you time to consider the question.

Like Rick, I am constantly on a mission to make computers easier to use. I don't believe it is necessary to upgrade computers every few years if the system you are using now is working well.

I hate (strong word, but accurate) the direction Microsoft has taken with Windows. Most people never use all of the bells and whistles in Windows.

So, here is my question. If there were a computer that would do email, Internet, basic digital photography, document creation and standard games like solitaire, how much would you pay for it.

Using a computer does not equal understanding a computer

I had an interesting email topic come my way today regarding newer generations and their knowledge of computers. From experience, I can tell you that just because younger generations use computers all the time, they don't know how they work any better or how to use them more efficiently than any other generation. One of my favorite job functions is teaching people how to get the most of their computers. I see lots of business computer users and students who can 'use' a computer to produce the documents they need or search the Internet, yet they have no clue where their data is stored or how effectively they are using the software.

I made a bold statement on Saturday

Well, it was bold for me anyway. I stated (and Adam should have the audio up soon for the exact quote) that computer users who have not learned how to Copy and Paste should unplug their computers are put them on the curb for someone else to pickup. 

The statement seems a little extreme and at the time, it was meant for a giggle in the context of the show. However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The ability to Cut, Copy, and Paste is an extremely useful and easy to learn tool. Tutorials can be found everywhere regarding the subject (including right here on this site). I think it is an absolutely essential tool because it can be used in almost every aspect of computing except Solitaire. 

I’ve heard you say that before

Imagine for a moment (you won't have to stretch very far) that your son or daughter comes home past curfew and you say something like, "I told you to be home by midnight." In reply your kid says, "I know I heard you say that."

Imagine for a moment that you are an engineer who builds bridges. One day a bridge that you design collapses. You confront the builders only to find that they used half of the bolts that you indicated in the design. "I heard you say that we should use that many bolts," comes the reply from the builder.

In each case, the next sentence that follows is an excuse from the offenders as to why they thought this should be an exception.

Internet Explorer 7 Zoom

Internet Explorer 7 ZoomFor many computer users, viewing some web sites can be frustrating because text tends to be too small. Since many of you might be using Internet Explorer 7, take advantage of the improved zoom functuon in it. To access the zoom function:

1. Click Page from the menu in the upper right of the screen

2. Click Zoom from the menu

3. Choose a Zoom value from the options (I recommend trying the 125% first and then move up from there)

The Incredible Wikipedia

Wikipedia

What is a Wikipedia ? In the words of the Wikipedia web site, ?imagine a world in which every person has free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's what we're doing [at Wikipedia].? Sound amazing? It is incredible. Wikipedia, in everyday terms, is an online encyclopedia that is free to access, unlike paid services from Britannica.com and Encarta.com.

Wikipedia plays on a term from the Hawaiian language, wiki wiki, which means super fast or quick. The Internet adopted the term ?wiki? to mean a web site where anyone can edit or contribute to its content. So putting the terms together you get an online encyclopedia that is free to access and open for anyone and everyone to contribute to and

Simple things to check before you call your computer guy

People always apologize all over the place whenever a problem turns out to have a simple fix. Small problem or not, I typically charge a small fee just to cover the higher gas prices and time I blocked out for the appointment.

To avoid the small fee or feeling silly, here are a few things to try before calling your computer guy whether you have to pay him or not.

1. Turn the computer off and back on.

2. If you are on broadband Internet and it isn't working (You can't get Internet OR email) unplug the power from your modem then plug it back in. If you are going through a router, do the same with the router.

Compare online map services

I was home sick for the day so I had a lot of time to stumble around the Internet. I found this great site that lets you compare all of the big online mapping services like Yahoo, Google, Ask.com and NASA. I think Google won every time but the site is interesting.

Mozilla Firefox Revisited

By Rick Castellini 2002. Revised by Adam Cochran 2007

Earlier this summer, my co-host, Adam, decided to do an 'on air' review of a product. The product he chose is Mozilla Firefox, an alternative web browser. Being on the radio and downloading, installing and reviewing software was a new experience for us, but the impression was instant and impressive for both of us.

Mozilla loads most web pages much faster than Internet Explorer and makes a dial-up connection seem snappier. Because Mozilla does not use any code from Internet Explorer, it is inherently less likely to be plagued by the various security holes that Internet Explorer fights against on a daily basis. The software is free and I've put together a list of features and tips that I like about this great little browser:

Three ways to learn Photoshop

Although Photoshop Elements is the "easy" version of Photoshop, it is still far from intuitive. While this may seem like a bad thing it is actually what makes it a great program. When programs get too intuitive, they begin to think for you and limit options. Photoshop and Photoshop Elements do neither.

The newer versions of  Photoshop are much better about guiding you to certain areas and offering better tutorials, but the best way to learn is still to just to dive in and get your hands dirty (too many idioms?).

I think there are three ways to approach Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. The best way depends on how you learn.